Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-30

One night he received o tnreateplnt
letter from one of Forests friends, de
claring that he would be assaulted in The
theatre il he came again, and he used tc
narrate with fine effect his dismay wher
Mr.. Dara said OH showing him the let
ter that it would be good advertise
ment for him if he were assaulted. HI
always paid his way in attending th'
theatre. He and Mr.. Forrest never met
He continued his contributions to tht
Tribune and other papers until he be
came interested in theatrical manage
ment. He was employed as acting
manager at .Wallack's in 1855 and III,
following year. Afterward he went into
partnership with Mr.. Dion Boucicault
with whom he early became acquainted
in this country, and with whom and hi
wife, Agnes Robertson, he long occupied
residence on South Washington square
Messrs. Boucicault and Stuart's first
theatrical venture was short season al
Metropolitan Opera House in Washing
ton, and then at the Winter Garden il
this city. The Winter Garden was bull
on the site of the old Tripler Hall, and
the felicitous name was selected by
Stuart. 1t had been the metropolitan
Theatre, Laura Keene's Varieties, and
Burton's New Theatre. As the Winter
Garden, "a conservatory of the arts," il
was opened by Boucioault and Stuart
September IA, 1859, with a dramatiza
tion of "The Cricket on the Hearth, '
in which Joseph Jefferson played Caleb
Plummer for the first time and Agnes
Robertson was Dot. On December Sth
the "Octoroon" had its first performance
and before many weeks of It's run were
over Mr.. Boucicault retired in fit OF
anger, leaving Mr.. Stuart to continue
the house alone. Soon after Mr.. James
Jackson, known as "Black" Jackson,
went into partnership with Stuart; and
after his death, in 1861, Edwin Booth,
already famous tragedian, and John
s. Clarke became joint lessees and man.
ayers with the versatile Irishman
Clarke make his first appearance in New
York there April l, 1851. Booth, who
acted there only. when in this city, from
the fall of 1860 until the theatre was
burned in 1867, played Hamlet 100
nights in 1864. The magnificence OF
that production of the tragedy, and the
handsome setting of other great plays,
reflected some credit upon the zeal, lib
erality and good taste of Stuart. The
theatre was never rebuilt after the fire,
and Mr. Stuart again depended upon his
pen for his living until he opened the
New Park Theatre, April 4, 1874, with
F. .chter in "Love's Penance, an adapt
alton by the actor of "Le Medicin des
E,,fo k, - Al. Il
to be interested in the management, but
be withdrew before the opening.
Fechter failed in the new play, and
the theatre was closed in two weeks,
and remained closed until the fall, when
Stuart reopened it with John I. Ray
mood in "Colonel Sellers" One hun
dred nights of Colonel Sellers" was
followed by the Grau.Chizz,la Opera
Company in "Girofe Girofa.' George
Fawcett Rowe was presented in "Brass"
also this season. The ensuing season
Stuart presented the Florences in The
Mighty Dollar" and was on the high
road to fortune again, when he brought
forward at great outlay Oakley Hall in
"The Crucible," which proved such a
disastrous failure that he never recovered
from the loss, being compelled early in
the next season, after an unprctitable
production of Marsd ms "Clouds," to
relinq uish his lease of the theatre, which
was Immediately taken by Mr.. Henry +
Abbey.
For years after his early success in the
Winter Garden Mr.. Stuart owned q sea.
side home near the Light House at New
London, Conn.,, and here in the summer,
when in position to do SO. he entertained
roy ally. Here he retired like the King
to his tent on his failure at the Park
Theatre. Mr.. Stuart's seaside home was
a symposium where the bright wits and
fashionable celebrities of the day gath.
cred around hospitable board. 1t used
to. be said that he entertained m IRE noble
visitors than called at the headquarters
of the English embassy in Washington.
Once two dukes and seven lords sat down
to his table. He kept open house the
season round in the heydey OF his pros.
perity. All the more prominent actors,
journalists and statesmen of the day
were his guests. The little "box" on
the slope overlooking the sea, which
was filled with so many interesting
souvenirs, was destroyed by fire one
night just as he was passing in the
Sound boat. expecting to be there few
hours later. and it was never rebuilt.
The property passsd cut of Mr.. Stuart's 8
possession few years ago, since when
he has always lived in this city in the
family of faithful friend who was born
near the gate of the estate" in Ireland,
Mr.. Nicholas Kilroy. For long time
they occupied apartments in Bond street,
but last spring they moved to- residence
surrounded by trees, on East One Hun
dred and Twentieth street, where Mr..
Stuart found much pleasure in the rural
surroundings and passed his mornings
in literary work.
Mr.. Stuar.'s career is so closely inter-
woven with the "swim of society" in
this city for the past thirty years that it
is scarcely possible to mention any par.
tieular man or celebrity, from Prince
John Van Buren, to the late Marshall
Rynders, that he did not know or enter.
tain if he could. He delighted in social
pleasures. There was a certain ascerbity
Of manner at times and an uncon rollable
lash in his tongue that frequently made
temporary enemies of those whom he
really loved. He used to say that be
could not refrain from giving utteran ce
to clever or witty thought even if il
was damaging TO his best friend. None
of those who really knew him, how
ever, failed to properly appreciate him.
He would pass many hours in trying
to serve his friends, and was ever ready
to share his all with those about him.
There was an intimate friendship be.
tween Mr.. Stuart and the late James
Wallack, which continued with his
son, Mr.. Lester Wallack, whom he
knew in the first flush of manhood.
No prominent man of the past &c
years can be recalled with whom Mr.,
Stuart was not more or less intimate
His playful sarcasm and unfailing sup
ply of good stories made his company
always sought after. As raconteur
he will long be remembered. He was
adapted by nature, not for business,
but forlthe dolce far niente existence OF
the wealthy. He could not concentrate